


A Lesson in Magic

by Azalares



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Action, Adventure, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Other, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 05:05:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13896876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azalares/pseuds/Azalares
Summary: Mia Viridis is an elementalist, one who studies the magic of Eos also known as elemancy. As she joins Noctis and his retinue on their quest to reclaim their kingdom, new bonds and friendships are formed. Together, they discover that magic, while great and powerful, always comes with a price.





	1. An Eccentric Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> As much as I love FFXV, there were questions left unanswered about the lore and history of Eos, especially with how magic worked in this universe. Thus, this story was born. It eventually follows the canon events of the game, starting around Chapter 3, with the inclusion of my original characters and original story arcs. I also plan to add the DLC content if it fits story-wise.
> 
> Reviews and critiques are welcomed and appreciated! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> (This story is originally posted on FF.net but I'll be uploading chapters to this site slowly but surely.)
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy XV or its characters.

* * *

 

In the southern area of the Duscae region, a car as black as night drove into a small town's gas station. The vehicle's arrival prompted curious stares from the local residents. From its sleek black paint job to the elaborate decor on the hubcaps, it was evident that it originated from the Crown City of Insomnia. City-made cars were an extremely rare sight outside of Insomnia's magic barrier, but after the Niflheim attack, not so much so. Nowadays, it was the unfortunate reality to see Insomnian citizens seeking refuge. 

The inhabitants of the Regalia were not in that predicament.

Once the luxury vehicle came to a stop next to a gas pump, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prince of Lucis, stepped out into the cold air of the afternoon, along with his retinue: Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia, and Prompto Argentum.

"Finally!" Prompto cried out in relief as a grin spread across his freckled face. "If that took any longer, I would've gone crazy!"

"What makes you think you aren't already?" Noctis nonchalantly quipped, his eyes glinted with teasing mischief.

Prompto ignored the prince's comment and continued to smile as he breathed in the damp weather. Having just escaped the constant shift between cool and warm air blowing in the car, this was a welcomed scent. Bright sunshine would have made this better, but it had been raining since they left that morning. The blonde groaned, stretching his arms toward the cloudy sky to relieve his sore muscles. He deemed it should be illegal to sit in a car for as long as they did.

"So what's our plan?" Gladiolus asked no one in particular, also taking the chance to stretch. "Imperial soldiers are still searching for us."

The four members of the Crownsguard were on the road for hours. In an attempt to avoid Magitek soldiers scouting the land overhead, Ignis was forced to take an unnecessarily long detour through the forest. It was their own actions that caused this in the first place, however. They had infiltrated a Niflheim base, destroying Magitek squadrons and sabotaging the giant machinery whose purpose couldn't be anything but villainous. The mission was successful but now the Empire was on high alert whilst efforts to track them down skyrocketed.

Ignis sighed softly, rolling his shoulders from being the ever diligent driver. "We don't have much of a choice," he began. "We have to lay low." The royal advisor turned toward his liege, who looked like he was about to fall asleep standing up, and motioned to the diner across the street. "Noct, if I may, let us get something to eat. We can decide what to do afterward."

"Sounds good to me," Noctis yawned. "I'm starving."

"Same here!" Prompto exclaimed, already half way to the diner. "Food, here I come!" 

The diner's owner and chef was of the friendly sort who loved to chat with all of his customers. He conversed with Noctis and his friends about a variety of topics, ranging from trivial matters to sharing recipes with Ignis. He also shared that people were expressing their concerns about seeing Imperial dreadnoughts flying over their town more often. Noctis glanced toward Ignis, who understood the gaze and quickly changed topics. 

The conversation eventually ended up on monster bounties.

"We might as well accept one of these," Gladiolus mused aloud after the owner showed them the available bounties. "We got nothin' better to do."

"Some quick Gil is always nice." Noctis agreed as he finished the rest of the food.

After paying for their meal and thanking the owner, the quartet walked out of the diner with their hunger sated. The prince was appreciative they didn't have to sprint for shelter, as the rain had eased into a light shower, but briskly returned to the Regalia to discuss their next move.

"Are we going monster hunting?" Prompto inquired as he laced his hands on the back of his head.

"But it's raining," Noctis frowned. 

A shiver ran down his spine. He did not look forward to trudging out in the wilderness in this rain. Drenched and frozen to the bone, clothes annoyingly sticking to his body, the horror of stepping into puddles that are deceitfully deep... the mud. Mud was a pain in the ass and they all knew it. 

"Indeed," Ignis nodded his head once. "I'd rather we wait for the storm to pass before setting out on a bounty hunt."

After straightening his collar, the strategist of the group pulled out a small journal from his blazer's inside pocket. It contained his handwritten recipes and a travel log of sorts to document their journey. The journal also held notes on their inventory, a list of what they would need to buy at their next pit stop and the like. Noctis, Prompto, and Gladiolus all watched their bespectacled friend scan the contents of his journal before snapping it shut.

It seemed they were due for some shopping.

While Gladiolus refueled the Regalia, the other three entered the convenience store. The prince followed his blonde best friend around as he contemplated what kind of junk food he wanted to buy. Noctis wasn't in a particular mood for snacks but he knew he would regret it later if he didn't get anything. He opted for a bag of chips and Prompto mirrored his decision. After Ignis collected the necessary ingredients for future meals, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes when he spotted the two younger men holding a few extra snacks in their hands. 

He added it to the cart anyway.

With their supplies replenished, they exited the store. His mind miles away, Noctis zoned out and failed to see someone approaching him until they were right in front of him. He gasped and froze mid-step, their bodies just inches away from each other.  

"Oh, s-sorry," he fumbled an apology as he took one step to the side. "I wasn't paying atten—" The person suddenly reached out and latched onto his hand, alarming him. "Wh-what?"

"You... you have great power," the person mumbled under their breath. It sounded like they were in awe for some reason.

Immediately after those confusing words were uttered, Gladiolus was at the prince's side, snatching the stranger's hand and forcefully pushing them away. The stranger stumbled back a few steps but remained upright. Whoever this person was, they were smart enough to not make any sudden movements. They wore a dark cloak with a hood, obscuring their face which made them even more suspicious. 

The Prince's Shield stood protectively in front of the raven-haired man, keeping a watchful eye on the potential assassin. "You okay, Noct?" Gladiolus asked him, never once taking his gaze off the person just a few feet away.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Noctis muttered, still bewildered by what was happening.

Ignis and Prompto followed suit to stand next to Gladiolus, creating a wall between the prince and the hooded stranger. They resumed a defensive stance, just in case the situation turned hostile. While Noctis could definitely take care of himself, his friends would never allow anyone to harm him on their watch. 

Imagine their surprise when the stranger raised their arms up in front of them, waving them nervously.

"Whoa, whoa, wait! You've got it all wrong!" they sputtered, their voice feminine. 

Using their hesitance as an opportunity, the stranger cautiously moved their hands to the hood to remove it, revealing a young woman with hazel eyes. She looked to be the same age as Noctis and Prompto, perhaps a little older. Dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail with chin-length bangs framing her round face. At full height, she was just as tall as Noctis, adding a few inches more because of the brown leather boots she donned. Due to her cloak ending at her mid-thigh, they couldn't determine her attire aside from the fact she was wearing skinny jeans.

The woman tossed them a relieved smile after seeing their stances relax a little. "I'm really sorry for startling your friend. I mean him no harm, I swear." She kept the smile on her features as she focused her gaze on Noctis. "I'm just ecstatic to find someone who is also attuned to magic."

The four men glanced at each other, none of them understanding what the hell this woman was talking about. "Sorry, did you say magic?" Prompto asked her slowly.

"I sure did!" she beamed. "And I know you boys are familiar with elemancy." She looked at their befuddled reactions and giggled. "You've seen the elemental deposits that surround campground havens, haven't you?" She noted their realization of the subject before continuing, looking at Noctis once again. "You are able to extract the magic from elemental stones, right?"

Noctis nodded as he scratched the back of his head. "Um, yeah, I guess?" 

How did she know he had the ability to absorb elemental energy?

The grin never leaving her face, the woman clapped her hands together in a jubilant fashion. "Great! Then I have a quest for you!" Before she could elaborate on the matter, she reached underneath her cloak for a backpack, rummaging for Astrals know what. 

"Why should we help you?" Gladiolus grunted, his eyes narrowing on her figure. He still did not trust this strange woman, especially after that stunt she pulled. As far as he was concerned, she had not yet proved she deserved their trust.

"Because I can help you with your bounty," she replied, unaffected by his bluntness. In fact, it sounded like she expected it. "I overheard you back in the diner. In fact, I was in the booth behind you; sorry, didn't mean to eavesdrop." She let out a little victory cry when she pulled out three small empty glass bottles. "I'm a little behind schedule so here's my proposition: you gather elemental energy in these flasks for me and I will make spells that I promise you haven't seen before."

The awkward silence and expressions on the their faces told her that they could not hide their suspicion. Sighing, the woman dropped the bottles into her backpack before clearing her throat. "Okay, let's rewind and try this again." The smile ever present, she gave them a superfluous bow. "Greetings, my sirs. My name is Mia Viridis and I'm an elementalist."

"Elementalist?" All four men repeated together. That was an occupation they were not familiar with.

Chuckling at their shared reaction, the woman named Mia nodded. "Yup! I study the magical properties of the natural elements in Eos and utilize it in various ways."

Prompto, friendly as ever, collapsed the wall between her and Noctis by being the first to approach. "I have absolutely no idea what that means but it sounds pretty awesome! So do you, like, go around making crazy spells and stuff?"

"Something like that and more," Mia replied, elated that someone showed interest in her apparently uncommon work. "With a specific combination of elements and an item, you can create magic with special properties. For example—" She held out a bottle to the blonde that glowed a deep red.

"The fire element combined with a potion allows you to throw fire at your own feet, escape burn-free, and reinvigorates your stamina. In short, it heals everyone within the blast radius while also harming monsters and daemons."

Mia handed over the flask to an eager Prompto, who voiced his amazement when the bottle felt warm to the touch in his cold hands. "Wow," he breathed in awe, staring at the magic swirling inside. "Guys, look at this!"

Conceding to their curiosity, Noctis, Gladiolus, and Ignis walked over to examine the object in the sharpshooter's hands. From a distance, it looked liquid in state but upon closer inspection it was of dust-like quality, with bright yellow sparkles dancing around the center. Although Prompto held the bottle still, the contents continued to move and shift. It was mesmerizing, for lack of better words. It was definitely a departure from the spells they were currently using.

"So you can infuse elements with different catalysts to create different spells," Ignis hummed, placing a gloved hand to his chin in thought. "This is fascinating." 

"I totally agree!" Mia turned and grinned at the studious advisor, who was nonplussed at the sudden attention he received. "Actually, you guys can have the flask."

Noctis and Prompto shot their heads up, eyes widening. The latter showed more joy than the former, but both were equally as thrilled. "Seriously?" they exclaimed in unison.

"Yes, of course," the elementalist confirmed with a curt nod. "Think of it as an apology gift for scaring your friend."

The prince scoffed as he crossed his arms, obviously fighting off the embarrassed tinge of pink on his cheeks. "I wasn't... scared," he pouted. His grumbling earned a few snickers from his friends. Prompto had the audacity to pat him on the back with a mocking grin. In return, he received a light shove from the raven-haired man.

Mia giggled at their antics. "Well, I'm sorry regardless. Also for trying to force my work onto you guys. It's just not everyday I meet someone experienced in my field." Her hazel eyes locked with Noctis's blue. "You are one special person, my friend." He wasn't expecting the compliment because his cheeks darkened more. He turned his gaze toward the ground when he caught her knowing smile. "And now, I shall bid you gentlemen a farewell."

"Wait," Ignis stopped her. "Didn't you have an errand for us?" Noctis turned to look up at his childhood friend with a raised eyebrow. It was surprising that he would insist on taking her request but the prince knew better. Ignis was typically the one who kept them from straying from their goal. If he was pushing for this mission, then that meant he believed it could provide some kind of benefit for their journey.

Whatever plan he was concocting in his strategic mind was shot down by Mia shaking her head. "I appreciate the change of heart but it was unprofessional of me to ask you in the first place. This is my job, and thus I should be the one doing the collecting." The pitter-patter sound of rain falling against the pavement caused everyone to sigh dishearteningly. 

It was raining even heavier now.

"Oh, before I forget," she continued with a stern look. "You're probably aware of this already but be careful: experimenting without previous knowledge of the craft can result in disastrous consequences." With her warning heeded, Mia waved them a final goodbye before putting her hood back on and disappearing into the rain. "I hope we meet again! I wish you luck in your future endeavors!"

A brief silence fell upon them after the woman's departure. 

"Well, she's a weird one," Gladiolus deadpanned.

"I'd say she's more eccentric," Ignis chuckled, readjusting his glasses to the bridge of his nose. "Although I do believe she's mistaken Noct for someone else."

"It sure sounded like it," Prompto shrugged. "I dunno. She seems pretty cool me." He stored their new magic spell in the safety of the Regalia's trunk with the rest of their magic flasks. They needed to be careful to only use it in dire situations.

Gladiolus slapped the prince's back, causing him to stumble forward, and tossed him a toothy sneer. "Either way, she must be odd. She thinks His Highness is a _special_ boy."

Despite his best efforts, Ignis couldn't keep the smirk off his lips. "Hmm, I cannot begin to fathom what she meant with those words." he remarked sarcastically.

Prompto decided to join in on the fun. "Me neither."

His eye twitching annoyingly, Noctis shot an indignant glare at the assholes he thought were his friends. "I hate all of you."


	2. Onward to Lestallum

The storm continued to rage on for two more uneventful days before finally hinting at its demise on the third. The fourth day blessed the prince and his best friends with a beautiful, cloudless blue sky and perfect weather to drive in the Regalia with the top down. The sun shining brightly above, Noctis leaned his head against the side of the window, arms folded across his chest. He sighed quietly, comforted by the breeze brushing against his skin. He welcomed the calming sensation; it allowed him to temporarily forget about his burdens. 

After their brief encounter with the strange woman with an even stranger occupation, the quartet made their way to Lestallum. The decision was mostly Gladiolus's idea,  probably because he wanted to see Iris, his little sister. The Shield didn't want to leave her by herself after what happened in Insomnia but alas, his duty was to Noctis—to protect him. He was, however, comforted by the thought that she was with the Amicitia's trusted butler, and grandson. 

Understanding how much of a worrier he could be for his sister, the other three agreed to head back up north. At least in Lestallum they could relax without fear of Imperials hovering over the town. For now.

There was an audible click originating from Prompto's camera which was only slightly distracting. Fortunately, having been friends with the blonde for years, the prince was used to his love for photography. He even ended up as the model for a few pictures. To his right, Gladiolus cleared his throat and flipped a page in whatever book he was reading this time. Ignis had turned the radio on to a random music station to keep the drive from being completely silent (although with Prompto in the car, silence doesn't last). He made sure to keep the volume low enough to allow the prince to sleep—

"You think we'll run into Mia again?"

And the silence was shattered.

"The girl from the gas station?" Gladiolus recalled with twitch of a smirk. It seemed pretty random he would bring up the elementalist out of the blue. "Why, Prompto, did you suddenly change your mind about Cindy?"

"What? No way!" The sharpshooter turned around to kneel on the passenger seat, leaning the front of his body against the back cushion. His expression feigned offense at the bodyguard's words as he placed a hand on his chest, proclaiming, "My heart will always belong to Cindy! Nothing in the world can change my feelings!"

Both Noctis and Gladiolus rolled their eyes while Ignis scolded the younger man to sit down properly. When he did, Prompto leaned between the gap in the seats so he could still look towards the back seats. In his hand was a flask containing fire magic, but Noctis noticed with a discerning eye (for once) that it lacked the special quality compared to the one they received from Mia days prior.

"The fight from yesterday just got me thinking about her, I guess," the blonde clarified himself. "I mean, her present to us pretty much saved our butts."

No one argued with him.

Once the storm transitioned from heavy rain to a light drizzle, the four of them set out to claim the monster bounty. While they defeated the monsters with relative ease, a Magitek dreadnought found them and they were pulled into a fight with Imperial soldiers. They managed to escape in the end with minor scrapes and bruises, none of which were life threatening. It was a risky battle that taught them much about the efficacy of their enemy's strength. 

"It was quite fortuitous that we were given that particular spell," Ignis remarked as the Regalia entered the tunnel leading to Lestallum. "Who knows what would have happened if we didn't have it in our possession."

The rest of them agreed, the memory still fresh in their minds.

 

* * *

 

One of their first mistakes was engaging in combat without the knowledge of how many soldiers there were. 

The four fighters eventually found themselves overwhelmed by more troops than they predicted as Imperial reinforcements arrived in waves. The lifeless machines carried a variety of weaponry: swords and axes for melee combat; rifles and machine guns for range. So much chaos surrounded them that it was difficult to concentrate on any one particular enemy.

Their second mistake was trying to divide and conquer.

Ignis strategized Noctis was the ideal option to deal with the long-ranged enemies in the distance to keep the gunfire off of himself and Gladiolus. Prompto was tasked with assisting the prince while he warped in to attack. The plan was working flawlessly but countless more soldiers disembarked from the dreadnoughts overhead. The constant phasing to dodge bullet showers resulted in Noctis reaching stasis, slowing him down significantly. 

It got to a point where he became so exhausted he fell to his knee, gasping for oxygen and on the verge of blacking out.

Sensing he was in serious distress, the three members of the Crownsguard all converged to protect the prince. The situation did not bode well for them, even as Gladiolus eliminated multiple soldiers with a single swipe of his greatsword. Prompto covered his back with his pistols while Ignis supported Noctis until he could recover his stamina. It wasn't just Noctis, though; on top of their fight with monsters just moments before, they were all feeling fatigue and exhaustion. 

It was then the strategist recalled their gunner had the foresight to bring a certain magic flask.

"Prompto!" he shouted over the fighting. The urgency in his voice grabbed the blonde's attention. "The fire spell!" Catching his drift, Prompto hastily reached into his bag and tossed the flask toward Ignis, who caught it with his free hand. "Everyone, group up!" 

Once they were in close vicinity, he threw the bottle at their feet.

The flask shattered into pieces. In an instant, fire encircled them, searing the ground in every direction. Flames rose taller than Gladiolus as it burned everything within its staggeringly large radius. Magitek troops drowning in the sea of flames were incinerated within seconds. Even the grass and nearby bushes were reduced to piles of ash. Nothing stood a chance.

From the epicenter, the four friends could only watch the scene unfold in awe. They felt the intensity of the heat, the flames nicking at their skin, yet they felt no pain. Tiny orbs of light, a mix of soft greens and yellow, flitted, danced, and sparkled around them before being absorbed into their bodies. True to the elementalist's words, they regained the energy to continue.

Ignis heard Noctis groan as he steadied the prince. "How are you feeling?" he queried.

"I'll survive," the raven-haired prince panted, lightly pushing away from his advisor to stand by himself. He opened and closed his hand to test his strength, pleased to find his renewed vigor. "Let's get the hell out of here."

The four of them broke into a sprint to put as much distance between them and Imperials as possible. As everyone piled into the Regalia, Prompto glanced back at their previous location, his blue eyes widening at what he saw. The fire that was once raging had now dissipated into dark smoke, leaving behind a bizarrely circular area of scorched earth and dying embers. He turned to his friends, who also stared with varying expressions of shock and awe.

The brightest grin stretched across his freckled features. "We owe Mia a big hug."

 

* * *

 

The luxury car exited the cliffside tunnel, where they were greeted with a welcomed sight: Lestallum. 

A big tourist town, Lestallum was designed to appear visually charming and mirror its tropical climate. Grand palm trees lined the busy sidewalks with the fronds rustling above in the warm breeze. At the crosswalk, the ever present smell of food wafted in the air, causing some stomachs to rumble. Both tourists and locals alike strolled the busy street to reach the multi-tiered balcony, where they could get a magnificent view of the Disc of Cauthess, the impact site of a meteor.

If they were going to have to lay low for awhile, they couldn't think of a better place.

Ignis turned left into the parking lot, diligently navigating the Regalia until he found an open space. Once parked, the guys temporarily separated from each other. To no one's surprise, Noctis stayed in the car in an attempt to sleep for a few minutes longer. Ignis stood dutifully near, content with people watching. Gladiolus also stayed close, but stepped away at the moment to inform his sister they were in town. Prompto jogged over to the observation platform to take pictures of the Disc.

"I shall make arrangements at The Leville," the Royal Advisor thought aloud as he propped his glasses up. "I surmise we'll be spending a couple days here."

Noctis made a sound from the car, acknowledging that he heard him even though his eyes stayed closed. To his frustration, he found it impossible to take a nap due to everything around him: low murmurs and excitement of the people; cars passing through; a mishmash of music from numerous street performers; and shop keepers shouting their products to attract the attention of potential customers. 

The young prince shifted his position, growing exasperated. "Too loud." he grumbled under his breath.

"Gladio," Ignis called out to the Royal Shield, who was the first to return. "Were you able to contact Lady Iris?"

"Yep," the tattooed man nodded. "She's waiting for us at the hotel."

The brunette twitched a smile on his lips. "Then it's best we don't make her wait longer than necessary."

It was in Gladiolus's tone that told anyone who heard him he was rather eager. Gruff and macho he may be, Gladiolus Amicitia was a family man and was looking forward to reuniting with his sister. His friends knew he was actually a big teddy bear deep down but they never dared to say it to his face. They preferred to live. 

Gladiolus looked over at the trying-to-sleep prince before a mischievous grin spread across his face. He suddenly reached out, placing a hand on the younger man's head, and ruffled his black hair violently. His victim protested much to his pleasure. He even received a threat of physical harm him if he didn't stop.

"Rise and shine, Your Highness!" Gladiolus guffawed. "Time to get up!"

"Alright, alright!" Noctis growled, slapping his hand away. Shooting a lazy glare in his supposed bodyguard's direction, he hopped out of the car. Gladiolus simply shrugged, unaffected.

"I'll go find Prompto," Ignis inwardly sighed before walking away to retrieve their photography-obsessed friend. 

Sometimes he wondered why he chose to remain around these childish people.

With their sharpshooter in tow, the quartet walked up the stairs and crossed the road to reach Lestallum's Main Street. It was almost noon, the busiest time of the day in the town. Vendors positioned themselves along the sidewalk, some selling souvenirs and others varieties of food. Noctis was tempted to peruse the food stalls but he knew they were going to eat lunch with Iris. 

Besides, a certain glasses-wearing advisor would look down upon eating such "unhealthy" food.

The main front of the town was bustling and packed full of people at restaurants and cafes. Musicians and street performers stationed themselves at every corner so entertainment was never in short supply. The atmosphere was free and relaxing, as if the kingdom wasn't in dire conflict. Although they had visited Lestallum before, it still astounded them how different Lestallum was compared to Insomnia. To feel at peace,  even for the moment, was like a breath of fresh air.

"To The Leville!" Prompto exclaimed excitedly.

They didn't get very far before a roar of an engine brought their attention to the side of the road again. A black motorcycle with a green cactuar decal pulled up along the sidewalk. The driver carefully balanced the weight of the vehicle, kicking down the stand so it leaned away from the road. It was nothing uncommon to see, as that particular section was marked as the parking area for two-wheeled transportation. Noctis would have ignored them too if Prompto didn't stop to look.

"Hey!"

The other three men halted in their step to give the sharpshooter a questioning and somewhat annoyed stare. He was always getting distracted. They followed his pointed finger to the motorcyclist, blinking in surprise.

With the helmet held at her side, the familiar face of the elementalist was recognized. 

The woman exhaled a tired sigh, presumably from a lengthy drive, when she noticed Prompto waving at her. It took her a second to realize who it was but returned the wave with equal enthusiasm. She swung her leg off her motorcycle just as Prompto approached. His friends followed close behind but at a slower pace.

"Fancy meeting you again!" Mia greeted them with a bright smile as she fixed her windswept bangs. "I wasn't expecting to see you guys so soon! What are you doing in Lestallum?"

"We're just visiting," the blonde replied coolly as he pointed behind him with his thumb in the direction of the hotel. "We're staying a few days at The Leville."

She let out a low whistle, a sign she was impressed. "The Leville, huh? That must be nice." 

"What about you?"

"I live here. My family runs a small shop near the marketplace. Second on the right just outside of the entrance. If you happen to be in the area, you're more than welcome to stop by," She paused to give them a flirtatious wink. "I'll even give you fine, handsome gentlemen a discount~" 

She garnered a roll of eyes from Gladiolus and Ignis, an excited exclamation from Prompto, and Noctis suddenly had an interest in the ground.

"Perhaps we will take you up on that offer," Ignis cut in, patting Prompto on his shoulder. They were already behind schedule. No more delays. "But we must be leaving. Lady Iris is expecting us."

Mia nodded in understanding. "Don't let me keep you. See you soon!"

Noctis and his retinue resumed their trek to the hotel, turning into an alleyway out of sight of the woman. "I say we visit her shop," Prompto mused as he placed his hands behind his head. "I wonder what kinds of stuff an elementalist sells."

"You sure you're interested in just her _inventory_?" Gladiolus sneered with a cheeky grin, the innuendo lathered in his words.

"Knock it off," Noctis groaned, shoving the big man while resisting the urge to cover his ears. "Let's get to the hotel. I'm tired."

"You're always tired," Prompto scoffed, his attention effectively diverted from the previous topic. "But no matter what you say, I'm going to her shop!"


End file.
